News

Apple retail employees have been told that anyone who purchases an Apple TV from Apple will receive a free $25 gift card starting today and ending March 5, iLounge has confirmed. Atypical for Apple, this promotion increases the likelihood that new Apple TV hardware is on the way in the near future.

Apple typically offers such deals to clear inventory before the release of a new product, so it’s possible a new Apple TV will be on the way in March or April. [via 9to5Mac]

Apple has added a new TV4 Play channel to Apple TV in Sweden. Swedish network TV4 announced the addition to Apple TV, along with pricing tiers and features.

For free, users can can watch some live broadcasts, and shows for 7 days after broadcast. A premium tier adds some live sports and removes commercial breaks, while the premium sports tier adds even more live sports, including the Swedish Hockey League and various world soccer leagues. [via 9to5Mac]

As expected, the WWE Network has launched on Apple TV today. The new network from World Wrestling Entertainment can be purchased with an iTunes account.

It costs $60 for a six-month WWE subscription on Apple TV, as opposed to $10 per month on other platforms. WWE Network features streaming content 24/7, and offers access to all live WWE pay-per-views in addition to a library of on-demand content.

Apple attempted to license TV programming for its own service before turning its attention to negotiating with existing TV distributors, the Wall Street Journal reports. A source said Apple could try seeking rights to programming directly in the future, however. A report from Wednesday noted Apple was negotiating with Time Warner Cable to add content to the device, but today Comcast has announced a deal to purchase Time Warner Cable in an all-stock transaction for $45.2 billion, pending regulatory approval. It’s unknown what the merger might do to the negotiations with Apple, but Wednesday’s report noted Apple was having trouble negotiating with Comcast. It’s also unclear whether Apple anticipated the merger. The WSJ reports the Apple TV could come “as early as June,” with one source saying it could be later. Wednesday’s report noted the device could be announced in April for a holiday release.

Apple will introduce a new Apple TV set-top box “as early as April,” according to Bloomberg. However, Bloomberg also claims Apple is “aiming to have the device available for sale by the Christmas holidays,” though the release date could change pending distribution and programming negotiations. The report notes Apple is working on a deal with Time Warner Cable and other partners to add video content to the device. Such a lengthy amount of time between the announcement and release date would differ greatly from Apple’s usual protocol, especially for an upgrade of an existing product.

A reference to new Apple TV hardware has been discovered in iOS 7. The reference is to “AppleTV4,1,” which would be a new Apple TV, as the current Apple TV is referenced internally as “AppleTV3,2.” Though the reference has reportedly been in iOS since iOS 7.0’s release in September, it was only found recently by developer Hamza Sood. Given that the model is shown as part of the existing Apple TV family, it’s likely that the new device will remain a set-top box, with upgraded internal components. The report also notes that new Apple TV software builds make references to iOS 7’s Game Controller framework, suggesting that some game controllers could connect to Apple TV. It’s been reported that Apple has been testing new versions of Apple TV. We previously reported that a coming Apple TV update would add downloadable game support to the platform. [via 9to5Mac]

Apple has added The Beatles channel to Apple TV, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the group’s landmark appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. For a limited time, users can watch the footage from that appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The channel also includes song previews from the Beatles’ “The U.S. Albums,” a 13-album set recently released on iTunes, but not the band’s larger catalog of releases. As a result, many major Beatles albums and tracks are missing from the channel.

Users have the option of purchasing the songs and albums through the Apple TV. It’s currently unclear how long the channel will be around, and whether it will change forms once the “limited time” Ed Sullivan video is removed.

Apple is signing long-term deals for more bandwidth as the company builds up its Internet infrastructure, the Wall Street Journal reports. The infrastructure will be “capable of delivering large amounts of content to customers.” Though the WSJ points out Apple could need more bandwidth for existing services such as iCloud, iTunes, and the App Store, the report also notes the infrastructure could handle more traffic if Apple “decides to move deeper into television.” Bill Norton, chief strategy officer for International Internet Exchange, estimates Apple now has the bandwidth to move hundreds of gigabits of data per second. “That’s the starting point for a very, very big network,” he said. It’s possible that Apple is expecting to radically increase the number of Apple TV devices in the marketplace, begin to offer 4K-quality streams, or both.

Apple recently added a new Apple TV page to its online store, fueling speculation that a major update to its “hobby” device will be happening soon. iLounge has reported that games will be a larger part of Apple TV after an update.

World Wrestling Entertainment has all but confirmed the WWE Network will be coming to Apple TV as a new channel on February 24. In a FAQ post on the WWE Network Facebook page, a fan asked about Apple TV, and a network representative wrote that the WWE Network app would launch “directly” on Apple TV on Feb. 24 — the same day the network launches. If this happens, it would be the first pre-announced channel on Apple TV. WWE Network will cost $10 per month with a six-month commitment, featuring all 12 live WWE pay-per-view events, a WWE video-on-demand library, and more. [via MacRumors]

Apple is testing upcoming Apple TV versions with an AirPort-style router and built-in TV tuner, 9to5Mac reports. The Apple TV with a router appears to combine the Apple TV and AirPort Express for upgraded bandwidth and video quality for the device, enabling the router to prioritize video stability while doling out data to other devices as needed. Separately, the TV tuner component would allow users to access their television content through an Apple interface, finally bringing to market a feature rumored to be in development at the time of Steve Jobs’ death in 2011. Neither of these features is guaranteed to appear in new Apple TV hardware — but the possibility is there, as prototype versions reportedly exist. The article also backs our earlier report that game support would be a key part of an upcoming Apple TV update; existing iOS devices would be used as controllers, according to the new report.

The report also notes that Apple has added an Apple TV section to its online store, rather than treating Apple TV as an accessory, hinting at major upcoming changes. Accessories, a Q&A section, AppleCare, and a page for refurbished Apple TVs are all included in the new section.

iLounge has heard from reliable industry sources that Apple TV will soon be getting proper game support in an update, likely to come in March or earlier. We’ve heard that developers are currently working on Bluetooth controller options, and it’s expected that games could be downloaded directly to the Apple TV rather than relying on another iOS device as an intermediary. One developer has suggested that game support could be backward-compatible with the current-generation Apple TV. However, it’s unknown what current Apple TVs would use for storage — it’s possible iCloud could be part of a solution. This update would effectively put Apple TV on par with the latest Roku devices, which have already had their own app stores for some time. An Apple TV App Store has been awaited for years.

Apple has added a Sky Sports channel to Apple TV in the U.K. The channel, from Now TV, enables viewers to purchase access to live sporting events on an as-needed basis. To the best of our knowledge, this appears to be the first permanent, international-only Apple TV channel. A Sky Sports Day Pass offers 24 hours of sports coverage from six channels for £9.99. [via Engadget]

Apple has pushed out another quiet but major content update for the Apple TV, adding four additional channels. While availability of the new content channels varies between countries, U.S. Apple TV users now have access to the ABC television network, Bloomberg, Crackle, and 16 different Korean television channels in KORTV.

The new Bloomberg channel provides streaming access to a variety of programming on business, lifestyle, and politics and allows users to browse by show for on-demand viewing, watch live streams of specific events or breaking news, or search for specific content. The ABC channel provides clips, full episodes and live streaming—though most of the content is locked unless you subscribe to one of a number of participating cable providers. Crackle, previously available as an iOS app, brings Sony’s free online movie and TV show streaming service to the Apple TV. KORTV is a Korean TV network providing access to ten free channels and six premium channels along with video-on-demand content. These new channels appear on the Apple TV without the need for a specific software update, and are available now.

Apple has posted holiday shipping deadlines on its online store to inform customers of when orders must be placed to receive products by Dec. 24. The site shows when iPads, iPhones, iPods, Apple TVs, Macs, and other select accessories must be ordered to ensure delivery by Christmas Eve, for both standard and next day shipping. Notably, customers only have a few days left to receive an iPad mini with Retina display by Christmas Eve, with Dec. 5 being the deadline. The iPad Air can be ordered up until Dec. 9, and the iPhone 5s must be ordered by Dec. 12 for pre-Christmas delivery. Apple’s online store is offering free shipping on all products through Dec. 22.

Yahoo Screen and PBS channels have both been added to Apple TV. Yahoo announced the addition of Yahoo Screen, a channel that features video from Yahoo, including Saturday Night Live, The Onion, Comedy Central, and Vogue, among others.

PBS has also added a new channel to Apple TV. The app requires an activation code to be entered on a computer or portable device, and the creation of a free account. [via 9to5Mac]

Alongside iOS 7.0.4, Apple has released version 6.0.2 of its Apple TV software, which is based upon the same iOS code. There do not appear to be any obvious changes to the interface in the update. The update should occur automatically, but can be manually pushed to the device through the Settings menu.

Apple has released version 6.0.1 of its Apple TV software. It’s currently unknown what changes have been made or what features may have been added at this point; updates are available through the Settings menu, General, then Software Updates. As a patch, the update should take less than a minute to download.

Following the release of iMovie 2.0 for iOS, Apple has added a new iMovie Theater channel to Apple TV. The new iMovie Theater feature in iMovie lets users share home movie clips to any Apple device, which now includes the Apple TV.

No software update is needed to add iMovie Theater to the Apple TV; the channel now appears automatically, having been pushed to devices through Apple’s servers. The new iMovie 2.0 for iOS is free with the purchase of a new iOS device, or as a free update to the previously purchased version.